From my
observations of the Pygmy people, I have learned that the forest is their god.
They believe that it is their father and mother and their ultimate provider.
Without the forest, they would be unable to live; they believe that when it
dies, they will die as well. Unlike the villagers, the Pygmies do not have any
use for belief in evil spirits or witchcraft. They believe that the forest is good and has given them a life that leaves them able to not worry about troubles or witchcraft. However, they have seen enough of
it in the villages to be wary. While they do not believe in evil spirits, they do believe that other spirits can show up in dreams; the dream world is filled with meaning to the Pygmies, and is held in high regard.
The Pygmies have
a special ritual that they perform each night around the fire called the molimo. This is when
the men of the camp dance and sing songs of praise to the forest. They have a
trumpet-like instrument, also called a molimo, which they use to make strange
animal sounds. This is for the benefit of the women and children, who are
supposed to believe that there is a fearsome animal in the forest that eats the
food that they gather from each house and bring to the fire. The women and
children know that this is simply the men praising the forest. However, they do
act as if they are scared and have no idea what is going on.
Religion of the Pygmies is animistic and very personal; therefore their religion is individualistic. While they come together around the molimo fire, the Pygmies take charge of their beliefs and have no need for shamans, prophets, or priests.
Religion of the Pygmies is animistic and very personal; therefore their religion is individualistic. While they come together around the molimo fire, the Pygmies take charge of their beliefs and have no need for shamans, prophets, or priests.
My choice of
theory could get a bit confusing at times, such as in the case of the molimo;
this does not have one meaning. The molimo can refer to the fire that the men
sit around each night, but it can also refer to the trumpet-like instrument they
use to make animal sounds, the dancing and singing around the fire, the passage
of adulthood for boys and girls when they perform their own molimo, or the
ritual performed when a person dies. These were the times that I had to pay
special attention to the uses of the word; this was also when I had to make
sure that I fully understood the meaning of molimo.
If I were to do
this again, I think that I would keep my choice in theory. Religion is a very
important part of every culture; it embodies all aspects of life. Therefore,
there is much to learn by choosing religion as my ethnographic specialty, and I
have found this theory to be valuable– especially when studying the BaMbuti
Pygmies. Religion of the Pygmies is a very interesting topic of study; while it
appears as if there is no special belief upon first observing them, this is not
the case. The Pygmies are a very religious people, and this is shown in every
area of their lives. The forest provides for them, and in turn they thank it
for being good to its children. By studying the religion of the Pygmies, I
found that I have learned a lot about the people themselves and feel that I can
understand them better.
